One of the mightiest battleships of her time. When built, Fuso was the largest warship in the world. She had a fairly powerful artillery and reasonably heavy armor.

Modules

Rate of Fire(shots/min)

180 Degree Turn Time(sec)

Maximum Dispersion(m)

Maximum HE Shell Damage(HP)

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell(%)

Maximum AP Shell Damage(HP)

Research price(exp)

Purchase price()

356 mm/45 Tipo 41

2,1

56,25

226

5700

25

10 200

0

340 000

Hit Points(HP)

Armor(mm)

Armor(mm)

Main Turrets(pcs.)

Secondary Gun Turrets(pcs.)

AA Mounts(pcs.)

Torpedo Tubes(pcs.)

Hangar Capacity(pcs.)

Research price(exp)

Purchase price()

Fusō (A)

44 900

6

305

6

14/4

10/8/4

0

0

340 000

Fusō (B)

57 100

6

305

6

14/4

17/10

0

12 500

900 000

Firing Range Increase(%)

Maximum Firing Range(km)

Research price(exp)

Purchase price()

Tipo 6 mod. 1

0

19,8

0

260 000

Tipo 6 mod. 2

10

21,8

6500

640 000

Maximum Speed(knot)

Research price(exp)

Purchase price()

Propulsión: 57 900 cv

21,6

0

140 000

Propulsión: 70 000 cv

24,5

4000

280 000

Compatible Upgrades

Slot 1

Slot 2

Slot 4

Slot 5

Player Opinion

Performance

The first of Japan's locally produced super-dreadnoughts, Fuso is a solid-performing Tier VI battleship — particularly once the time and effort of unlocking Hull (B) is invested. Featuring a powerful armament of six turrets with each packing a pair of 14-inch guns, Fuso packs the firepower to potentially wipe out nearly anything she faces — even higher tier battleships — due to her broadside being practically unrivalled by anything she is likely to face.

Once she has her final (1944) hull, she is a force to be reckoned with. Capable of reaching out and touching targets as far away as 21 km, Fuso is a formidable opponent. Her armor is a big improvement over Kongo, giving her the durability to fight pitched battles against other dreadnoughts; sadly, it does not match the armor protection her contemporaries from other nations receive, and her citadel is still fairly vulnerable (particularly from the rear). Fuso also gains a large mobility increase when upgraded, with a speed increase of almost three knots, allowing her to outrun American battleships and out-range them.

Captains will be tempted to show Fuso’s broadside to an enemy to bring all guns to bear, but due to the nature of her armor, this is ill-advised. Instead, Fuso should be sailed into range at an angle, preferably with a destroyer and cruiser screen. Good map awareness will allow captains to determine when it is possible to bring all her turrets to bear on a target without over-exposing her own armor. If properly angled, Fuso can go up against even higher-tiered battleships on fairly equal terms.

Once in range of target, captains should keep in mind that while Fuso’s 14-inch guns are fairly accurate and rapidly firing, due to the longer ranges she will be firing at, they will require constant adjustment. Firing the first three turrets as a ranging and accuracy shot, then firing the aft three often provides the best results in terms of accuracy. At the same time, captains must prioritize targets who are exposed, as the 14-inch shells will have an easier time inflicting massive damage. This is particularly true for equivalent and higher tier American and German battleships.

Cons:

Uses the same gun as Kongo, which has difficulty dealing with more the heavily armored battleships at her tier

Having two turrets amidships limits forward and rear firepower; turning broadside to use them invites serious damage from enemy battleships.

Still suffers from battleship dispersion, though her shell volume partially compensates.

Research

Initially, Fuso is painful; captains may be tempted to get the Propulsion upgrade first.Invest in the Propulsion module upgrade only after unlocking Hull (B). The Fire Control System module upgrade can be saved for last or skipped entirely; Fuso’s firing range of 19.8 km is more than adequate.

Optimal Configuration

Fuso is a battleship that excels at range; she out-ranges every other battleship at Tier VI, and she's one of the most accurate battleships of her tier. This is further emphasized by her heavy broadside and faster rate of fire. Close range brawling is something captains should actively avoid in Fuso, as her armor can feel non-existent in close combat and she loses her primary advantages over her contemporaries.

Camouflage

Type 1, 2, or 5 camouflage can be equipped for credits; Types 2 or 5 are recommended at a minimum to reduce the accuracy of incoming shells.

Players who wish to spend doubloons can equip Fuso with Type 16 camouflage that lowers her detection radius, reduces the accuracy of incoming shells, and increases the amount of experience she earns.

Signals

As with all battleships, Fuso comes with 8 signal flag slots. The three most important flags are India Delta, Juliet Yankee Bissotwo and India Yankee; all of which will improve your surviveability. Captains wishing to improve the performance of their secondary battery should consider the addition of Mike Yankee Soxisix.

Gallery

Historical Info

Construction

Kure Dockyard; Kure, Japan

Laid down: 11 March 1912

Launched: 28 March 1914

Commissioned: 8 November 1915

Specifications

29,326 tons displacement, standard

205.13m length

28.65m beam

8.62m draft

Machinery

24 Boilers, 4 turbines

Performance

22.5 knots at 40,000 shaft horsepower

8,000nm at 14 knots

Armor

Main belt: 305mm mid, 100mm forward, 100mm aft

Decks: 50mm main, 32mm upper armored deck

Bulkheads: 305mm

Casemates: 152mm

Barbettes: 203mm

Turrets: 305mm

Conning tower: 350mm

Armament

Main

Twelve (6x2) 356mm guns

Secondary

Sixteen (16x1) 152mm guns

Anti-aircraft

Twelve (12x1) 76.2mm guns

Torpedoes

Six 533mm submerged torpedo tubes

History

Design

Fusō (扶桑, a classical name for Japan) was the lead ship of the two Fusō-class dreadnought battleships built for the Imperial Japanese Navy, her sister ship being Yamashiro (山城, named after Yamashiro province). Launched in 1914 and commissioned in 1915, she initially patrolled off the coast of China, playing no part in World War I. In 1923, she assisted survivors of the Great Kanto Earthquake.

Fusō was modernized in 1930–35 and again in 1937–41, with improvements to her armor and machinery and a rebuilt superstructure in the pagoda mast style. With only 14-inch guns, she was outclassed by other Japanese battleships at the beginning of World War II, and played auxiliary roles for most of the war.

Fusō was part of Vice-Admiral Shōji Nishimura's Southern Force at the Battle of Leyte Gulf. She was sunk in the early hours of 25 October 1944 by torpedoes and naval gunfire during the Battle of Surigao Strait. Some reports claimed that Fusō broke in half, and that both halves remained afloat and burning for an hour, but according to survivors' accounts, the ship sank after 40 minutes of flooding. Of the few dozen crewmen who escaped, only 10 survived to return to Japan.

Historical Gallery

Fusō, first of a class of two battleships, being launched in March 1914.

Fusō on her first trials, August 1915.

Yamashiro on trials, December 1916.

Schematic of the 14 inch (356mm) guns of the Fusō-class and Kongō-class battleships.

Fusō preparing for a fleet review, February 1928.

Colored photograph of Fusō in drydock undergoing reconstruction, April 1933.

Superstructure of Fusō.

Fusō on trials, May 1933.

Fusō running full-power trials on 10 May 1933 after her first reconstruction.

Colored photograph of Yamashiro.

Armor protection scheme of the Fusō-class battleships.

Fusō and Yamashiro of Aburaiyawan in Japan undergoing maneuvers, 1935.

Yamashiro in Tokyo Bay, with Fusō and Kongo-class fast battleship Haruna in the background, late 1930.